There is no such thing as "gothic music". That such a genre-definition is allowed to persist is proof of goth's
greatest shortfall. A fractional idea has been stretched beyond its capacity; what was once vivid and opaque is now
utterly transparent.

Now, there is such a thing as a gothic song. An artist, following a specific inspiration, may succeed in composing
a single work which, taken alone, serves to both reinforce and expand the cause and concept of gothicism. Any artist
who insists, however, that every song he writes and every sentiment he expresses be somehow "gothic" in nature is impinging
upon the spontaniety and alterability which gothicism requires to retain its poignance.

The reason Robert Smith is the reigning icon of gothicism is because at least 50% of his songs are not in any way dismal,
and can by no means be termed gothic. The only reason a star shines is because the empty space around it is black.
Nothing may exist without balance, and an artist will never reach his gothic best unless he is equally willing to reveal his
un-gothic best.

It therefore stands to reason that an artist (and I shall incriminate no-one by name) who wishes (as I myself often
have) to express nothing which is not patently gothic will by no means succeed in anything but immitation. Until he
outlines his boundaries in white, his music - being black - will have no shape of its own. It will be nothing at all.

Thus, as in the case of the Cure, Bauhaus, the Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, the Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the
Bad Seeds, and many others, it is proved that the gothic among society will not be moved by a transparent attempt to reach
them. They will find gothicism in unlikely surroundings, draw it unto themselves, and raise it up in adulation.
In this way have many artists found themselves unwittingly classed among the goths.

I, as a goth, will scoff at anyone who comes to me and expects that I will find him "gothic" only because he appears
to be so. I will scoff at any band that creates an album full of "Black Planet" and desires me, by virtue of their fraudulence,
to regard them as a "gothic" rock band. Let them define themselves, and see how much the world cares whether they are
"gothic" or not. The panther, being completely black, will never be distinguished against the night in which it stalks.
This is good if you wish to be invisible, but bad if you are hoping to be seen.

This point is obvious enough and needs to be addressed no further in this regard.